As any self-respecting set should, I want to include a few good, appropriate reprints in this set. So, besides the basic lands, I think I'd like to see:
Brassicore 4
Artifact Creature - Masticore
4/4
Brassicore doesn't untap during your untap step.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may discard a card. If you do, untap Brassicore.
:symtap:: Brassicore deals 4 damage to target creature.
And since creature removal is going to be a little thinner without black and white... Coma Veil?
Not a bad list!
I very much wanted Reconstruction, originally. Which is why I named my set's artifact+graveyard mechanic after it. Do you think Reconstruction is still blue? With all the Ritual of Restorations, Salvage Scouts, and Razor Hippogriffs running around? I mean, I can make it blue, but it seems like that effect is more likely to bleed into green or black these days.
[EDIT] @Scuirmancer: nice call on Basalt Golem. I don't think I'm going to use it as a straight-up reprint, but you may have just inspired me regarding the rare card for that vertical cycle. Something like this would be perfect.
I'm breaking my rule about putting new cards in this thread, because this one is totally based on your Hollow Gift card earlier in this thread, Scuirimancer:
Targh-Rider Witch2RR
Creature - Human Shaman [RARE]
When Targh-Rider Witch enters the battlefield, target opponent gains control of target artifact you control. If that player does, you put X 1/1 red Hyena creature tokens with haste onto the battlefield, where X is that artifact’s converted mana cost.
[2/2]
The Oracle entry on this would go something like, "Choosing an artifact is not optional."
i think youre missing a megacycle for your set, TRILANDS...not alara block, ETBT trilands, rare trilands which could ETB untapped(: check out this thread that i made when i was trying to make some good, balanced, untapped trilands...i still think my original idea is best but judge for yourself and get back to me(:
i think youre missing a megacycle for your set, TRILANDS
I have my one triland for this set, and I am adamant that it will be the only one.
Which brings me to an interesting point... this whole block is simultaneously pushing both monocolor and multicolor. At first this seems contradictory, but if you look closer you can see why. A typical Limited environment consists mostly of two- and three-color decks. That's simply how you get the most bang for your buck from a typical draft pool. In heavily multicolor draft environments, that ramps up to mostly three- and four-color decks, because abundant mana fixing allows this. Think about that for a minute, in the context of this set, where there are only three colors.
Assuming you want to draft two colors:
In a normal, 5-color set, you have ten color-based drafting strategies (one for each color pair).
In this 3-color set, you have three color-based drafting strategies (:symur:, & :symgu:).
Assuming you want to draft three colors:
In a normal, 5-color set, you have ten color-based drafting strategies (one for each shard and wedge).
In this 3-color set, you have one drafting strategy (URG).
That's twenty possible strategies vs. four, and I haven't even counted four- and five-color possibilities. Not good. Obviously, I want to keep the two- and three-color strategies viable (hence, promoting a modest amount of multicolor), but I can't inject a four- or five-color drafting strategy into this set. So, if I want to create a diversity of drafting strategies (and I do), I need to pursue the notion of a strictly monocolor draft. And, because packs are each going to have relatively more cards of each of the set's three colors, I can really push monocolor drafting forward as a viable option in a way that a normal set wouldn't allow.
So, the point being, my rare land cycle is almost certainly going to be pushing monocolor, not three- or even two-colors.
If you're going to push monocolor in Limited, you should also try to carve out distinct drafting strategies within colors - for example, Vendetta is a good common in any black deck, but Zulaport Enforcer gets a lot better with levelers-matter cards, while Bloodthrone Vampire is basically filler if you don't have a lot of ways to make Spawn tokens, though a high pick if you do.
How are you going to distinguish archetypes in RUG-RUG-RUG (triple Riches UnderGround) draft so the decks in the same color don't all feel the same? A bunch of the new mechanics like Potions and Reconstruct want you to draft a lot of them, but don't necessarily coalesce into a win condition on their own. The feel I'm getting at the moment is Core Set generic archetypes (U-based Skies, Mono-R aggro, Gxx goodstuff stompy, slow and grindy Ux control with card drawing), minus W/B and with an artifact-skewed flavor.
Targh-Rider Witch2RR
Creature - Human Shaman [RARE]
When Targh-Rider Witch enters the battlefield, target opponent gains control of target artifact you control. If that player does, you put X 1/1 red Hyena creature tokens with haste onto the battlefield, where X is that artifact’s converted mana cost.
[2/2]
The Oracle entry on this would go something like, "Choosing an artifact is not optional."
On this one, I'm a little confused. I love what the card does, and I think that it's a really nice and flavorful card, with a very powerful ability (it would be strong in standard, and a house in limited). But, the Oracle text being "Choosing an artifact is not optional" is what I don't understand, especially with the wording being: "if that player does", almost like it's a "may" ability.
So, what happens if you control no artifacts? You don't get the ability?
As an aside: I think that Jinxed Idol definitely deserves a spot in this set. It just screams like a place for it to be reprinted.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein
One color-independent drafting strategy on which I am working is what I will title a "trash" drafting strategy - that is, grabbing up disposable artifacts that you might not even plan to use, except to sacrifice. Red is going to be the primary driver of artifact-sacking effects, while blue is going to be dumping artifacts onto the battlefield via Treasure Chests and other such mechanics. Green will have a role in that, although I'm not sure what it is yet. Potions will support this theme (obviously), as will Reconstruct. At this point, it's not totally fleshed out or balanced yet, but I am definitely planning to make this archetype viable in 1, 2, and 3 color builds.
[EDIT]: Also, I'm toying with the idea of giving each set a little tribal theme - probably just one tribe - in all three colors that you could go for as a draft strategy. Not necessarily blatantly-obvious like Elvish Champion-style tribal, but maybe something like Zendikar vampires where the tribe is united around some mechanical flashpoint (10 life, etc.) that can constitute its own archetype independent of color.
@Brandon Brawlers: Sorry, I edited the card and forgot to take that reminder out of there. So, no wonder you're confused! (It used to allow your opponent to pick which artifact he or she received, but the wording was just a mess and I think the current functionality is better anyway.) I'll just strikethrough that now... also, Jinxed Idol is a good suggestion, but I doubt I'll use exactly that card. Maybe something like it, though!
Hyena Matriarch 3R
Creature - Hyena
2/2
Hyenas you control have ":symtap:: This creature deals damage equal to its power to target creature that was dealt damage this turn."
Marjhan is interesting, and I suspect her applications will become more clear as you add more beefy creatures to the set. I could see her being part of a Turboland strategy - play a free land off Oracle of Mul Daya, play the PW, bounce it, replay it with protection, play another land?
Couldn't Padishah have flying? A Centaur Courser that potentially helps my opponent as much as me seems more gimmicky than powerful at first glance - you could at least make it a threatening clock.
Also, yay for revivifying old sets. I still think CDE-CDF-CDG draft is probably unworkable though, especially if neither C or D is green.
Couldn't Padishah have flying? A Centaur Courser that potentially helps my opponent as much as me seems more gimmicky than powerful at first glance - you could at least make it a threatening clock.
THIS. Especially since he's a Djinn.
Is the Padishah still the main villain? And have you decided what his motivation is yet?
Also, yay for revivifying old sets. I still think CDE-CDF-CDG draft is probably unworkable though, especially if neither C or D is green.
Old? Heh. We live in a fast little world, here on the forums.
Me taking time to do some "Heavy Metal" and "Permanence" concept & design work has always been with the clear goal of finishing this set in the proper fashion. Now that I have a pretty good idea what "Heavy Metal" is going to be about and a rudimentary idea of what "Permanence" is going to be about, I can build in the necessary groundwork here in The Pauper and the Padishah.
I'm not exactly sure what you're saying about CDE-CDF-CDG draft. Sorry if I'm just confused. Anyway, this gives me a chance to talk about why the sets are ordered in the way that they are. For the record, the release of the 10 sets is going to go like this:
(The "?"s indicate shards / wedges that received low vote tallies and are thus going "back to formula", concept-wise.)
My first reason for doing this was simple: I wanted to alternate wedges and shards, so once "Treasures" / PTP was voted up to #1, that carved a lot of the block's structure in stone. Secondly, I wanted to make sure that each set incorporated two of the previous set's colors, to make drafting multiple sets in-order-of-release the most functional. After this, it really became a choice of how I wanted to work my way around the shard / wedge color pie, and I settled on the plan, above, because it put four of the sets that I knew I wanted to do right up front, and the most problematic ones at the end, to give me enough time to reevaluate what I wanted to do with them.
There are some repercussions of ordering the sets this way, such as the front-loading of green and the back-loading of blue on the release schedule, but I'm convinced that this is the least problematic way that I could order them. It means that PTP - "Heavy Metal" - "Permanents" draft is really heavy on green and really light on white and blue, but I'm taking that into consideration as I design. For instance, blue will probably get some killer apps in PTP to tide it over through the vast gap of sets 2-4. White will probably also enter with a bang in "Permanence", though I'll try to do it in a way that isn't going to define the color for the rest of the block.
Anyway, as to Padishah Zartosht, I'm playing around with the abilities a bit. Flying is not going to be definitive of the Djinn in this block, but if it makes the Padishah "feel" more mythic, then I might do it.
Is there a reason why you want to alternate wedges and shards, particularly, because that constraint is creating what seems like unnecessary wonkiness in the release orders.
I'm not exactly sure what you're saying about CDE-CDF-CDG draft. Sorry if I'm just confused.
By which I mean a draft structure where two colors appear in each block and a different third color appears in each of the three blocks. (C, D, and E being letters used by R&D to indicate the number of different colored mana symbols in the mana cost of a card.)
Are the blocks intended to be drafted only in order on the release schedule, then, or can they be mixed?
EDIT: Did you kill the "Tribal Menagerie" rare artifact lands? I don't see them on the spoiler. I liked those primarily for their artifact-ness.
Is there a reason why you want to alternate wedges and shards, particularly, because that constraint is creating what seems like unnecessary wonkiness in the release orders.
That's not what's causing the wonkiness.
Rather, it's the "two colors from the previous set" thing. There's really no way you can carve up the shards and wedges in any kind of regular sequence and not get a very similar result. But, I think that the two colors rule is important, so I just have to accept that side-effect.
So, for example, "Heavy Metal" - "Permanence" - "Rabble Kingdom" draft will have no blue at all. I just have to embrace that fact and make the most out of it. Each color will take its turn being the odd one out.
Speaking of the Menagerie creatures, what of Reconstruct? Are you keeping that ability, and if so, how prevalent is it gonna be?
The Plan: Reconstruct is in, and it's at all rarities. So, nine cards planned, ten if I want to do a mythic.
Some people have expressed power level concerns about Reconstruct. I don't agree with those concerns vis-a-vis the three cards that are on the spoiler. I will reevaluate these concerns once the full docket has been designed. If it looks degenerate at that point, I may have to axe it as a keyword and look for a replacement. I'm sure I will have at least a few cards with a similar effect no matter what, though.
I don't want to enable some kind of sick Reconstruct combo-chain. I know that such a beast could appear if I'm not careful. So, I'm going to do be as careful as I can. You can probably expect the uncommons, at least, to work in a way to thwart combo-chaining. Don't ask me what that is yet, however, since I don't yet know.
You liked the artifact-ness? Alright! I thought nobody did!
Rather, I found that their artifact-ness gives them most of their power level. Without that relevant factor this is a card you feel bad seeing early in a draft, because it doesn't help you win the game like a solid removal spell or creature does, you can't expect it to wheel because it's a rare, and it's worse than a basic land unless you pick up a specific, eclectic assortment of creature types (mind you, the abilities are quite good when "turned on"), which can be a crapshoot.
Being an artifact, however, turns on all your cards that care about artifacts coming into play, sacrificing artifacts, and counting the number of artifacts. This ensures that, like snow lands in triple Coldsnap, you will always play this card if you are playing this color. Considering how board-complicating this becomes when you have multiple possible targets for the ability, I think these cards are appropriate at rare. I wouldn't take these over bombs or good removal but I would rate them highly, particularly in packs 2-3 if I already have some of the relevant creature types.
Floral Spuzzem [UNC]
Hoodwink [COM]
I'm open to requests. Anything else you'd like to see?
Welding Jar, Dancing Scimitar, Horn of Greed
Deglamer
Reconstruction, Steal Artifact or Acquire, Treasure Trove
Trash for Treasure
And since creature removal is going to be a little thinner without black and white... Coma Veil?
Finally a good white villain quote: "So, do I ever re-evaluate my life choices? Never, because I know what I'm doing is a righteous cause."
Factions: Sleeping
Remnants: Valheim
Legendary Journey: Heroes & Planeswalkers
Saga: Shards of Rabiah
Legends: The Elder Dragons
Read up on Red Flags & NWO
Other possible reprints: Crumble, Snake Basket, Basalt Golem.
Brassicore 4
Artifact Creature - Masticore
4/4
Brassicore doesn't untap during your untap step.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may discard a card. If you do, untap Brassicore.
:symtap:: Brassicore deals 4 damage to target creature.
• Recent Card Ideas • My Drawings at DeviantArt
Not a bad list!
I very much wanted Reconstruction, originally. Which is why I named my set's artifact+graveyard mechanic after it. Do you think Reconstruction is still blue? With all the Ritual of Restorations, Salvage Scouts, and Razor Hippogriffs running around? I mean, I can make it blue, but it seems like that effect is more likely to bleed into green or black these days.
As for the others:
As for Dancing Scimitar, I think I might go with Ensouled Scimitar first. But, I hadn't thought of either, so thanks for the idea!
[EDIT] @Scuirmancer: nice call on Basalt Golem. I don't think I'm going to use it as a straight-up reprint, but you may have just inspired me regarding the rare card for that vertical cycle. Something like this would be perfect.
Alternatively, a colorshifted Treasure Hunter might be fun.
• Recent Card Ideas • My Drawings at DeviantArt
Creature - Human Shaman [RARE]
When Targh-Rider Witch enters the battlefield, target opponent gains control of target artifact you control. If that player does, you put X 1/1 red Hyena creature tokens with haste onto the battlefield, where X is that artifact’s converted mana cost.
[2/2]
The Oracle entry on this would go something like, "Choosing an artifact is not optional."http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=270350&highlight=new+trilands
Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
Quotes:
I have my one triland for this set, and I am adamant that it will be the only one.
Which brings me to an interesting point... this whole block is simultaneously pushing both monocolor and multicolor. At first this seems contradictory, but if you look closer you can see why. A typical Limited environment consists mostly of two- and three-color decks. That's simply how you get the most bang for your buck from a typical draft pool. In heavily multicolor draft environments, that ramps up to mostly three- and four-color decks, because abundant mana fixing allows this. Think about that for a minute, in the context of this set, where there are only three colors.
Assuming you want to draft two colors:
So, the point being, my rare land cycle is almost certainly going to be pushing monocolor, not three- or even two-colors.
How are you going to distinguish archetypes in RUG-RUG-RUG (triple Riches UnderGround) draft so the decks in the same color don't all feel the same? A bunch of the new mechanics like Potions and Reconstruct want you to draft a lot of them, but don't necessarily coalesce into a win condition on their own. The feel I'm getting at the moment is Core Set generic archetypes (U-based Skies, Mono-R aggro, Gxx goodstuff stompy, slow and grindy Ux control with card drawing), minus W/B and with an artifact-skewed flavor.
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
On this one, I'm a little confused. I love what the card does, and I think that it's a really nice and flavorful card, with a very powerful ability (it would be strong in standard, and a house in limited). But, the Oracle text being "Choosing an artifact is not optional" is what I don't understand, especially with the wording being: "if that player does", almost like it's a "may" ability.
So, what happens if you control no artifacts? You don't get the ability?
As an aside: I think that Jinxed Idol definitely deserves a spot in this set. It just screams like a place for it to be reprinted.
[EDIT]: Also, I'm toying with the idea of giving each set a little tribal theme - probably just one tribe - in all three colors that you could go for as a draft strategy. Not necessarily blatantly-obvious like Elvish Champion-style tribal, but maybe something like Zendikar vampires where the tribe is united around some mechanical flashpoint (10 life, etc.) that can constitute its own archetype independent of color.
@Brandon Brawlers: Sorry, I edited the card and forgot to take that reminder out of there. So, no wonder you're confused! (It used to allow your opponent to pick which artifact he or she received, but the wording was just a mess and I think the current functionality is better anyway.) I'll just strikethrough that now... also, Jinxed Idol is a good suggestion, but I doubt I'll use exactly that card. Maybe something like it, though!
Well, a URG wedge set, but yeah. No white or black cards. First set out of a 10-set megablock (assuming I ever make it that far).
Cool
Covetous Djinn 3R
Creature - Djinn
5/5
Trample
When you don't control more artifacts than each other player, sacrifice Covetous Djinn.
Based on Covetous Dragon.
Hyena Matriarch 3R
Creature - Hyena
2/2
Hyenas you control have ":symtap:: This creature deals damage equal to its power to target creature that was dealt damage this turn."
• Recent Card Ideas • My Drawings at DeviantArt
Planeswalker - Marjhan [MR]
Creatures you control have cloak. (They can't be the targets of spells or abilities your opponents control.)
/+3\: Return target creature you control to its owner's hand.
\-1/: Target creature you control gains flying, trample, and vigilance until end of turn.
{2}
Legendary Creature - Djinn [MR]
Artifact spells can’t be countered.
Each artifact’s controller may have that artifact enter the battlefield as a copy of any artifact on the battlefield.
[3/3]
Marjhan is the set's one-and-only planeswalker. Zartosht is the set's one-and-only legendary creature.
Couldn't Padishah have flying? A Centaur Courser that potentially helps my opponent as much as me seems more gimmicky than powerful at first glance - you could at least make it a threatening clock.
Also, yay for revivifying old sets. I still think CDE-CDF-CDG draft is probably unworkable though, especially if neither C or D is green.
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
THIS. Especially since he's a Djinn.
Is the Padishah still the main villain? And have you decided what his motivation is yet?
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Old? Heh. We live in a fast little world, here on the forums.
Me taking time to do some "Heavy Metal" and "Permanence" concept & design work has always been with the clear goal of finishing this set in the proper fashion. Now that I have a pretty good idea what "Heavy Metal" is going to be about and a rudimentary idea of what "Permanence" is going to be about, I can build in the necessary groundwork here in The Pauper and the Padishah.
I'm not exactly sure what you're saying about CDE-CDF-CDG draft. Sorry if I'm just confused. Anyway, this gives me a chance to talk about why the sets are ordered in the way that they are. For the record, the release of the 10 sets is going to go like this:
URG - The Pauper and the Padishah
BRG - "Heavy Metal"
BGW - "Permanence"
RGW - "Rabble Kingdom"
RWU - ?
GWU - "Polar World"
GUB - "Pirate Scum"
WUB - ?
WBR - ?
UBR - ?
(The "?"s indicate shards / wedges that received low vote tallies and are thus going "back to formula", concept-wise.)
My first reason for doing this was simple: I wanted to alternate wedges and shards, so once "Treasures" / PTP was voted up to #1, that carved a lot of the block's structure in stone. Secondly, I wanted to make sure that each set incorporated two of the previous set's colors, to make drafting multiple sets in-order-of-release the most functional. After this, it really became a choice of how I wanted to work my way around the shard / wedge color pie, and I settled on the plan, above, because it put four of the sets that I knew I wanted to do right up front, and the most problematic ones at the end, to give me enough time to reevaluate what I wanted to do with them.
There are some repercussions of ordering the sets this way, such as the front-loading of green and the back-loading of blue on the release schedule, but I'm convinced that this is the least problematic way that I could order them. It means that PTP - "Heavy Metal" - "Permanents" draft is really heavy on green and really light on white and blue, but I'm taking that into consideration as I design. For instance, blue will probably get some killer apps in PTP to tide it over through the vast gap of sets 2-4. White will probably also enter with a bang in "Permanence", though I'll try to do it in a way that isn't going to define the color for the rest of the block.
Anyway, as to Padishah Zartosht, I'm playing around with the abilities a bit. Flying is not going to be definitive of the Djinn in this block, but if it makes the Padishah "feel" more mythic, then I might do it.
By which I mean a draft structure where two colors appear in each block and a different third color appears in each of the three blocks. (C, D, and E being letters used by R&D to indicate the number of different colored mana symbols in the mana cost of a card.)
Are the blocks intended to be drafted only in order on the release schedule, then, or can they be mixed?
EDIT: Did you kill the "Tribal Menagerie" rare artifact lands? I don't see them on the spoiler. I liked those primarily for their artifact-ness.
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
That's not what's causing the wonkiness.
Rather, it's the "two colors from the previous set" thing. There's really no way you can carve up the shards and wedges in any kind of regular sequence and not get a very similar result. But, I think that the two colors rule is important, so I just have to accept that side-effect.
So, for example, "Heavy Metal" - "Permanence" - "Rabble Kingdom" draft will have no blue at all. I just have to embrace that fact and make the most out of it. Each color will take its turn being the odd one out.
Nope! I must have just forgotten to link them. I'll fix that.
You liked the artifact-ness? Alright! I thought nobody did!
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
The Plan: Reconstruct is in, and it's at all rarities. So, nine cards planned, ten if I want to do a mythic.
Some people have expressed power level concerns about Reconstruct. I don't agree with those concerns vis-a-vis the three cards that are on the spoiler. I will reevaluate these concerns once the full docket has been designed. If it looks degenerate at that point, I may have to axe it as a keyword and look for a replacement. I'm sure I will have at least a few cards with a similar effect no matter what, though.
I don't want to enable some kind of sick Reconstruct combo-chain. I know that such a beast could appear if I'm not careful. So, I'm going to do be as careful as I can. You can probably expect the uncommons, at least, to work in a way to thwart combo-chaining. Don't ask me what that is yet, however, since I don't yet know.
Rather, I found that their artifact-ness gives them most of their power level. Without that relevant factor this is a card you feel bad seeing early in a draft, because it doesn't help you win the game like a solid removal spell or creature does, you can't expect it to wheel because it's a rare, and it's worse than a basic land unless you pick up a specific, eclectic assortment of creature types (mind you, the abilities are quite good when "turned on"), which can be a crapshoot.
Being an artifact, however, turns on all your cards that care about artifacts coming into play, sacrificing artifacts, and counting the number of artifacts. This ensures that, like snow lands in triple Coldsnap, you will always play this card if you are playing this color. Considering how board-complicating this becomes when you have multiple possible targets for the ability, I think these cards are appropriate at rare. I wouldn't take these over bombs or good removal but I would rate them highly, particularly in packs 2-3 if I already have some of the relevant creature types.
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!